Tenants Accused of Stealing Personal Property from Elderly Landlady
Photo: File photo of Artemizia S. Walker and Autumn J. Chinoy | Berkeley PD
Written By: Jim Emerson
BERKELEY — Tenant/landlord animosities hit a new low in Berkeley’s rough-and-tumble multi- family housing market. Two tenants stand accused of stealing items from their landlord who is an elderly woman.
The landlady in her 70s had security cameras installed after being repeatedly burglarized last year. When burglars struck again in January, she recognized her tenants recorded on security video.
She received an alert when the intruders entered her residence on New Year’s Day. She phoned the police. Officers responded to the residence in the Cedar Rose Park neighborhood to investigate. No one was arrested at that time.
Later after reviewing the video evidence, police obtained a search warrant. It was served January 4. Investigators subsequently found items inside the tenants’ apartment that belong to the landlady.
Officers arrested 30-year-old Artemizia S. Walker at the apartment. Shortly afterward, her 30- year-old roommate Autumn J. Chinoy, was arrested as she was returning home. Walker and Chinoy were both booked at Santa Rita Jail. On January 5, charges were filed for burglary, receiving stolen property, and committing a crime against a vulnerable victim.
The suspects posted bond and they are no longer in custody. Their next scheduled court appearance is January 20. Meanwhile, the landlady and her tenants have an estranged relationship to say the least.
